In The News

September 2021

Dr. Barker Becomes the First Surgeon In NC to use new technology for Rotator Cuff Surgery

Raleigh Orthopaedic is excited to announce that Dr. Joseph Barker, a Raleigh Orthopaedic sports medicine physician, became the first surgeon in North Carolina and one of the first surgeons in the country to place an InSpace Balloon for rotator cuff pathology of the shoulder. The InSpace Balloon is used for patients with large rotator cuff tears that cannot be repaired. The balloon is placed through a small incision, and can decrease pain and improve function in patients with significant rotator cuff disease.

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October 2020

Dr. Joseph Barker Featured in Washington Post article on the Treatment of Cartilage Injuries in the Knee.

Matt Oates, 41, ran competitive track and cross-country in high school and college, then kept on running. On New Year’s Day 2018, he resolved to run every day that year, and he did - a total of 2,435 miles, including 14 half-marathons. He has had a few injuries, most of them minor, except in 2005 when he tore the ACL - the anterior cruciate ligament - in his right knee while playing indoor volleyball. He recovered from surgery, and resumed running.

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April 2020

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected to Lead National Hip Arthroscopy Webinar

Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected to give a national talk on hip arthroscopy to sports medicine fellows around the country. This presentation was part of the Fellows Hip Arthroscopy Webinar series presented by Stryker. Dr. Barker was co-leader of this talk along with Dr. Thomas Wuerz who is the director of the hip preservation program at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, MA. The title of Dr. Barker’s presentation was, “Essentials of Hip Arthroscopy: Patient Indications, X-ray Interpretation, Patient Positioning, Portal Placement, and Diagnostic Arthroscopy.” This presentation was given to orthopaedic surgeons who are currently in fellowship years around the country. These fellowships allow orthopaedic surgeons who have finished residency training, to obtain further knowledge in specific areas of patient care and additional surgical skills. This presentation was given live via the Zoom platform on Monday, April 20, 2020.

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April 2019

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected Faculty Member for Advanced Hip Arthroscopy Course

Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected to be a faculty member, speaker, and a laboratory instructor at a national hip arthroscopy course sponsored by Stryker Corporation in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was a 2 day course, which took place on March 29 and 30th. The goal of this course was to teach orthopaedic surgeons from around the world how to perform advanced hip arthroscopic procedures. Dr. Barker was the keynote speaker and gave two lecture presentations. His first presentation was titled “15+ Years of Hip Arthroscopy: Pearls and Pitfalls in Decision Making and Management”. The second talk was titled, “Capsular Repair of the Hip: The When, Why, and How”. Having been involved with hip arthroscopy since seeing his first case as a visiting medical student at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City in 2003, Dr. Barker is passionate about advancing the field of hip arthroscopy. The course included a day long cadaver laboratory in which Dr. Barker demonstrated advanced hip arthroscopy techniques including labral repair, capsular repair, labral reconstruction, and arthroscopic treatment of femoral acetabular impingement.

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August 2018

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected as Speaker for Advanced Hip Arthroscopy Course

Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected to be a faculty member, speaker, and a laboratory instructor at a national hip arthroscopy course sponsored by Stryker Corporation in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was a 2 day course, which took place on August 17th and August 18th. The goal of this course was to teach orthopaedic surgeons from around the world how to perform advanced hip arthroscopic procedures. Dr. Barker was the keynote speaker on the topic of advances in hip arthroscopy with a special emphasis on the role of labral reconstruction and labral repair.

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May 2018

Rotator Cuff Tears: Answers to Your Questions by Joseph Barker, MD

The shoulder is one of the most common areas in the body for people to hurt. Most of the time, this pain represents a simple strain or sprain that will heal quickly with minimal treatment. There are, however, times when shoulder pain can mean that there is a significant structural issue that should not be ignored. Rotator cuff injuries can occur from sporting activities such as swimming, softball, baseball, tennis, golf, and weight training, or can simply develop over time due to rotator cuff degeneration. At Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic, our shoulder specialists are experts at evaluating and treating shoulder pain. This article will discuss one of the most common and feared problems of the shoulder, “the rotator cuff tear”.

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March 2018

Dr. Joseph Barker Travels as Team Doctor for NCAA Tournament

Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Barker, is traveling this week as the team orthopaedic surgeon for the North Carolina State Basketball team for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The first game is March 15, 2018 and NC State University will be competing against Seton Hall in Wichita Kansas. One of Dr. Barker’s many responsibilities is traveling with the team to tournaments to provide medical care. Dr. Barker is currently co-head team orthopaedic surgeon for the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, and is a team physician for NC State University and Broughton High School.

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September 2017

Dr. Joseph Barker First Surgeon in Wake County to Perform Recently Approved Treatment to Regrow Knee Cartilage

Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Barker, became the first surgeon in Wake County and the first surgeon in the Raleigh metro area to perform the Matrix Associated Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI). MACI is a new procedure that uses a thin patch to hold the patient’s own cartilage cells in place as they grow. It is the first tissue-engineered cartilage scaffold using the patient’s own cells to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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April 2017

Dr. Joseph Barker Featured on The Buzz Sports Radio

Dr. Joseph Barker was featured the Sports Shop morning show on The Buzz Sports Radio to share how he and his fellow physicians work with amateur athletes in getting their bodies ready for the rigors of a combine before the NFL and NBA Draft. Dr. Barker also gives some inside information on how athletes deal with injuries and how soon is too soon to return from an injury.

October 2016

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected as Master Instructor for National Hip Arthroscopy Course

Joseph U. Barker, M.D. of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was recently selected as a master instructor for a national hip arthroscopy course in Miami, Florida on October 13-14, 2016. The course, which was sponsored by Stryker Corporation, was specifically designed to teach surgeons from around the world latest and most advanced techniques to those who are already proficient hip arthroscopy. Dr. Barker was selected to to teach the surgeons how to treat hip injuries arthroscopically. Other topics included treatment of labral tears, how to perform labral reconstructions, capsular preservation techniques and strategies, treatment of femoral acetabular impingement, and treatment of gluteus medius and minimus tears. Other master instructors were selected with Dr. Barker from around the United States.

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July 2016

Dr. Joseph Barker Invited Speaker on the Treatment of Cartilage Injuries in the Knee

Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Barker, was invited to give a national lecture on the use of coblation technology to treat cartilage injuries in the knee. This lecture was given in Clemson, South Carolina on Thursday July 14, 2016. Dr. Barker was selected to be the keynote speaker for a group of orthopaedic surgeons and sales representatives. This lecture was sponsored by Smith and Nephew, a global company based out of London, England that produces surgical products. “I have had multiple opportunities to share my experience and scientific data on the application of coblation technology to treat cartilage injuries in the knee, shoulder, and hip. One of my passions in life is the treatment of patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis who do not desire or are not ready for a knee or hip replacement. I have personally had six knee surgeries and I understand the challenges that this population deals with on a very personal level” says Dr. Barker.

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May 2016

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected Faculty Member for Advanced Hip Arthroscopy Course

Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected to be a faculty member, speaker, and a laboratory instructor at a national hip arthroscopy course sponsored by Stryker Corporation in Miami, Florida. The two day course, which took place on April 8-9th, 2016, was designed to teach orthopaedic surgeons from around the world how to perform advanced hip arthroscopic procedures. Dr. Barker was the keynote speaker on the topic of advances in hip arthroscopy with a special emphasis on the role of capsular repair and labral repair. Other distinguished faculty included Dr. Shane Nho from Rush University Medical Center. The course included a day long cadaver laboratory in which Dr. Barker demonstrated advanced hip arthroscopy techniques including labral repair, capsular repair, labral reconstruction, treatment of gluteus medius tears, and arthroscopic treatment of femoral acetabular impingement.

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September 2015

Dr. Joseph Barker Teaches at National Hip Arthroscopy Course

Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected as an instructor at a national hip arthroscopy course sponsored by Stryker Corporation in Mahwah, New Jersey, which is the headquarters of Stryker Corporation. This was a two-day course, which took place on August 14-15, 2015, taught sports medicine doctors from around the United States how to perform advanced hip arthroscopic procedures. Dr. Barker was the keynote speaker on the treatment of hip instability and how to repair the hip capsule. Other distinguished faculty members for this course included Dr. Jamie Genuario, former team physician for the Denver Broncos and current team physician for the Colorado Rockies and Dr. Ryan Goodwin from the Cleveland Clinic. The course included a full day cadaver laboratory in which Dr. Barker demonstrated advanced hip arthroscopy techniques including labral repair and capsular repair.

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June 2015

Dr. Joseph Barker Gives National Lecture on Cartilage Treatment in Knee Surgery

Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Barker, was invited to give a national lecture on the use of coblation technology to treat cartilage injuries in the knee. The lecture was held in Omaha, Nebraska on Thursday, May 14, 2015, and was sponsored by Smith and Nephew, a global company based out of London, England. Dr. Barker was the keynote speaker for the event, and had the privilege of speaking to a group of orthopaedic surgeons in the Midwest.

“This was a great opportunity to share an exciting new application of a technology that has helped knee and shoulder surgeons for years. The use of coblation technology to treat cartilage injuries has significant potential to help those with early arthritis” says Dr. Barker. Dr. Barker specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery of the knee, hip, and shoulder. He is currently a team physician for the Carolina Hurricanes, North Carolina State University, and Broughton High School.

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Raleigh Orthopaedic has been selected as the Official Medical Sponsor for the Inaugural North American Caribbean Rugby Association Olympic Qualifying Event

Raleigh Orthopaedic has been selected as the Official Medical Partner for the 2015 North American Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Olympic Qualifying Event. The tournament will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, 2015 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. This event will serve as the regional qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which is the first time in history the Olympics will feature a Rugby Sevens competition.

Raleigh Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Barker will serve as the Director of Orthopaedic Care for the tournament, and Dr. Matthew Boes will assist. In addition, Raleigh Orthopaedic will also be providing Athletic Trainers on the sidelines throughout the entire competition.

“Raleigh Orthopaedic is thrilled to be a part of the first-ever Olympic qualifier event. It is a great honor and privilege to be selected to take care of these Olympic athletes,” said Dr. Joseph Barker, Director of Orthopaedic Care for the NACRA Sevens Tournament.

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April 2014

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected as an Instructor at the National Hip Arthroscopy and Labral Repair Course

Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected to be an instructor at a national hip arthroscopy course sponsored by Arthrocare Corporation. The two day course, which was held in Austin, Texas on March 21-22, 2014, taught surgeons around the United States how to perform advanced arthroscopic hip procedures. Dr. Barker was selected as the keynote speaker to address arthroscopic labral repair, arthroscopic capsular repair, as well as imaging and diagnostics of the hip joint. Other distinguished faculty members chosen to assist Dr. Barker with the course were Dr. Mark Muller from the Carrell Clinic and Dr. Martin Leland from University of Chicago.

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December 2013

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected as Instructor for Advanced Hip Arthroscopy Course

Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected as an instructor for the advanced hip arthroscopy course at the Arthrex training facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. This course involves teaching orthopaedic surgeons from around the country the fundamentals of hip arthroscopy. This course emphasized techniques on how to perform hip arthroscopy, labral repairs, impingement surgery, and gluteus medius repairs.

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October 2013

Joseph U. Barker, MD Selected to Serve on the Editorial Board for “Journal of Knee Surgery”

For the fourth consecutive year, Joseph U. Barker, M.D. of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic has been selected serve on the editorial board for the “Journal of Knee Surgery.” The “Journal of Knee Surgery” reports on issues relating to the orthopedic techniques of arthroscopy, arthroplasty, and reconstructive surgery of the knee joint. In addition to peer-review articles, this periodical details emerging surgical techniques and includes case studies, reviews, and special focus sections on for instance, trauma and sports medicine.

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August 2013

Dr. Joseph Barker Speaker On Prestigious Hip Arthroscopy Panel at Sports Medicine Meeting

The largest dedicated sports medicine conference for orthopaedic surgeons is the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Annual Meeting. This year the meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois from July 11-14, 2013. Dr. Barker had the honor to be selected as a speaker on a hip arthroscopy panel during this meeting which included Dr. Byan Kelly and Dr. Struan Coleman both from Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, New York. Dr. Barker was selected for his knowledge and expertise in hip arthroscopy, and the panel focused on teaching all aspects of hip arthroscopy from basic to advanced. Topics included were treatment of femoral acetabular impingement, labral tears, capsular repair, and labral reconstructions.

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April 2013

Dr. Joseph Barker Selected as a Master Instructor of Hip Arthroscopy

JFor the third consecutive year, Joseph U. Barker, MD of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was selected by the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) to be an Associate Master Instructor of Arthroscopy. Dr. Barker was selected to instruct the recent hip arthroscopy course in Chicago, Illinois from February 22-24, 2013. This course is run by the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), and involves teaching orthopaedic surgeons from around the world the fundamentals of hip arthroscopy. This course emphasized techniques on how to perform hip arthroscopy, labral repairs, impingement surgery, and gluteus medius repairs.

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January 2013

Raleigh Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Barker Selected to Visit European Shoulder Surgeons

Joseph U. Barker, M.D. of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic recently traveled to Italy to visit and operate with several world famous shoulder surgeons. He was selected as part of a program with Lima Corporation to visit several hospitals in Italy to exchange ideas with European leaders in shoulder surgery. His visit included case presentations and operations with Dr. Alessandro Castagna at Humanitas Clinic in Rozzano, Italy. Dr. Alessandro Castagna is the General Secretary of the European Shoulder and Elbow Society. Additionally, Dr. Barker was able to do case presentations and operations with Dr. Piero Budassi at the Istituti Ospitalieri di Cremona in Cremona, Italy. Dr. Barker states, “It was a great experience to spend time exchanging ideas and surgical techniques with some of the leading shoulder surgeons in the world.”

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November 2012

Dr. Joseph Barker Featured on WRAL Television Program

Dr. Joseph Barker was recently featured on a television show on WRAL News in Raleigh, North Carolina. The television show is the monthly Rex On Call and featured Dr. Joseph Barker discussing fitness tips for weekend warriors, boomers, and older exercisers. Additionally, Dr. Barker discussed hip arthroscopy on this episode. Please watch the video below.

October 2012

Dr. Joseph Barker Recently Published in the Journal of Arthroscopy

Raleigh, NC (October 15, 2012) – Joseph U. Barker, M.D. of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic wasrecently published in the Journal of Arthroscopy for his research study “New Radiographic Parameters to Describe Anterior Acetabular Rim Trimming During Hip Arthroscopy.” The purpose of the study was to describe additional radiographic parameters that may detect changes within the acetabular cavity during acetabular rim trimming for pincer-type femoroacetabular impingement.

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Joseph Barker, MD

Joseph U.Barker, M.D. of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was recently published in the Journal of Arthroscopy for his research study “New Radiographic Parameters to Describe Anterior Acetabular Rim Trimming During Hip Arthroscopy.”

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August 2012

Joseph U. Barker, MD Receives Board Certification

Raleigh, NC (August 22, 2012) – Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic is pleased to announce that Joseph U. Barker, MD has recently received Board Certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. To become Board Certified, the surgeon must meet the specified educational, evaluation and examination requirements of the Board including: completing 120 hours of pertinent continuing medical education, practicing in one location for at least 20 straight months, undergoing a stringent peer review process to make certain they are respected by their peers and practicing ethical orthopaedic surgery, and taking and passing a written and oral examination. To maintain this certification, this process must be performed every seven to ten years.

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Joseph U. Barker, MD

Joseph U. Barker, MD has recently received Board Certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. To become Board Certified, the surgeon must meet the specified educational, evaluation and examination requirements of the Board including: completing 120 hours of pertinent continuing medical education, practicing in one location for at least 20 straight months, undergoing a stringent peer review process to make certain they are respected by their peers and practicing ethical orthopaedic surgery, and taking and passing a written and oral examination. To maintain this certification, this process must be performed every seven to ten years.

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April 2012

Dr. Barker Recognized in Hip Arthroscopy

Joseph U. Barker, M.D. of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was recently selected by the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) to be an Associate Master Instructor of Arthroscopy. Dr. Barker was selected to instruct the recent hip arthroscopy course in Chicago, Illinois from March 23-25, 2012. This course is run by the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), and involves teaching orthopaedic surgeons from around the world the fundamentals of hip arthroscopy. This course emphasized techniques on how to perform hip arthroscopy, labral repairs, impingement surgery, and gluteus medius repairs. This is the second year in a row Dr. Barker has been given this prestigious honor to be an instructor for AANA.

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Febuary 2012

Dr. Joseph Barker Teaches National Hip Arthroscopy Course

Joseph U. Barker, M.D. of Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic was one of three surgeons in the United States selected by Arthrex, Inc., to teach a national hip arthroscopy course. The one day course, which was held on January 23, 2012 inNaples,Florida, included a cadaver hip arthroscopy laboratory. This course taught fellow orthopaedic surgeons how to perform hip arthroscopy, labral repairs, impingement surgery, and gluteus medius repairs.


Dr. Barker Attends AAOS Annual Meeting

Dr. Barker attended the The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California from Febuary 7-11, 2012. This is the largest annual meeting of orthopaedic surgeons in the country and focuses on advances in the field of orthopaedics.

January 2012

Dr. Barker Teaches National Hip Arthroscopy Course

Dr. Barker taught a hip arthroscopy course that included a cadaver hip arthroscopy laboratory on Januar 23, 2012. Dr. Barker was invited by Arthrex Inc., to teach a one day course on hip arthroscopy to fellow orthopaedic surgeons. This course focused on how to perform hip arthroscopy, labral repairs, impingement surgery, and gluteus medius repairs. Dr. Barker was one of three instructors from around the United States invited to teach this course.


Dr. Barker Attends NHL Team Physician Society Annual Meeting

As one of the team doctors for the Carolina Hurricanes, Dr. Barker attended the annual NHL Team Physician Society Meeting which corresponds with the NHL All-Star Weekend. This meeting was in Ottawa, Canada on Saturday January 28th, 2012.

December 2011

Dr. Barker Speaker for 16th Annual Sports Medicine Symposium

On December 10th, 2011 Dr. Barker was a guest speaker at the 16th Annual Sports Medicine Symposium. The title of his talk was, “Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehab Protocols for Labral Pathology and Femoral Acetabular Impingement of the Hip”. This annual Sports Medicine Symposium was attended by physicians, trainers, physical therapists, and health care workers from around the state.

August 2011

Dr. Barker Teaches Hip Arthroscopy Course in Naples, Florida

Dr. Barker taught a hip arthroscopy course that included a cadaver hip arthroscopy laboratory on August 22, 2011. Dr. Barker was invited by Arthrex Inc., to teach a one day course on hip arthroscopy to fellow orthopaedic surgeons. This course focused on how to perform hip arthroscopy, labral repairs, impingement surgery, and gluteus medius repairs. Dr. Barker was one of three instructors from around the United States invited to teach this course.


Dr. Barker Lectures on Hip Arthroscopy at the Friesen Physio Fitness Summit

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Dr. Barker Discusses ACL Injuries at the Athletic Performance Center

On Saturday August 6th Dr. Joseph Barker and Dr. Marty Isbell led a two hour lecture on the treatment of ACL injuries in conjunction with the Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic Athletic Performance Center. This lecture reviewed prevention of ACL injuries, surgical treatment, graft selection, and post-operative PT protocols. In attendance were physical therapists, physicians, athletic trainers, and athletes.

July 2011

Dr. Barker Invited to Speak on Knee Ligament Injuries at the NCMS Annual Sports Medicine Symposium

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March 2011

Dr. Joseph Barker Recognized in Hip Arthroscopy

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February 2011

Dr. Barker Hosts Webinar on Hip Arthroscopy

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Dr. Barker’s Study on Rotator Cuff Tears Published in Arthroscopy

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The Arthroscopic Management of Partial-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Strauss EJ, Salata MJ, Kercher J, Barker JU, McGill K, Bach BR Jr, Romeo AA, Verma NN.
Division of Sports Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

January 2011

Dr. Barker Hosts Webinar on ACL Injuries

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December 2010

Dr. Barker Receives International Recognition for ACL Research

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November 2010

Dr Barker Launches Website: www.raleighsportsmed.com

On November 25, 2010 Dr. Barker officially launched his new website under the domains www.raleighsportsmed.com and www.josephbarkermd.com. In conjunction with yourpracticeonline Dr. Barker has created a website for use by both patients and healthcare professionals. The goal of this website it to provide patients with educational information on both operative and non-operative treatment of orthopaedic problems. Additionally the website provides information on Dr. Barker’s practice as well as his current research interests. Please continually check the webpage as there will be constant updates and new information available.